I am making a page about FETC 2009 and the cool things we find out. Please add to our info. Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009
I attended a class on Web 2.0 tools. The presenter was Leslie Fisher and here is a copy of her powerpoint. We discussed how Web 2.0 is a title for all interactive websites and is used to enhance social interactions. The most popular of Web 2.0s are Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, Photo/Video sharing, RSS feeds & bookmarking and finally social networking. We discussed the following sites: Blogger.com, twitter.com, wikispaces.com, smugmug.com, ustreamtv.com, and facebook.com which really brings all of the web 2.0 together in a nice package. RSS feeds can be from anywhere to anywhere, but commonly go into your email. Which brought up some really interesting ideas. The only question is what will be allowed to access from school and what will have to be accessed from home.
Thursday, Jan 22, 2009
Wow! Actually saw several Okees around today. Just about everybody from the OHS category. On the bus over, I heard mention of www.mindmeister.com so I will have to check it out.
Session 1 was on the "moodle". It is an open source (free) Learning Management system it would be familiar to those that have used Blackboard, WebCT, or Angel. But it is very much a user friendly site. I like the fact that it has messaging, chat, AND forum features. An ELA teacher's dream. It allows for social enhancement in the workplace. As they say "our world is truly flat". Moodle has its own support community and is truly modifiable to fit your needs. If you want to get in and view or play click here and check out the course set up for FETC. This is a training area set up by Remote Learner. The Moodle is free to download but you want someone who knows how to modifiy it for you. The cost here comes from the server space needed.
Session 2 that I wanted to attend was Google docs but it was packed so I went to Fractions and Algebra by Understanding Math. This is software designed to explain concepts in a visual format and is a computer assisted software. It was not designed to teach the concepts on its own, but to use the teacher to facilitate.
Session 3 that I wanted to attend was Improving schools with tech integration: the leadership advantage. However the presenter Gary Shattuck did not show. So the class decided to have a forum on the topic. Two presenters from www.mindsharelearning.com hosted the session. We came up with the tatic of Identifying others with the Tech gene, use community learning, start an afterschool tech club (competion/emulation), training-demonstrating to the teacher as they are doing the class as to how they can integrate materials, and that the administration should really set aside some time for tech training if it is important. Technololgy is a tool that we guides on the side should be using to teach the students NOT the subjects. It always important to have a back up plan because tech does not always work.
Bus ride back I heard mention of lots of free resources from Tammy Worcester www.tammyworcester.com Jammband and bozie were mentioned specifically. Something to look at in my free time.
Friday Jan 23, 2009
Attended the Mimio Breakfast. Unfortunately did not win the system, really wanted to.
Session 4 I attended "Is the district ready for student email?" This was put on by www.gaggle.net It now makes sense to me of the expression "working with google and gaggle". It has a free version which bears looking into. Session 5 I went down to the exhibit floor. I saw lots of cool things. What caught my eye was the plentitude of mini laptops and learning systems. It was an overload.
I had lunch on Pearson, they are rolling out their next version of their learning systems which will be internet based. Ferris the Ferret is their new logo. They have The Watershed for Prek, The Successmaker for the middle group, and Novanet for the high school crew.
Session 6 I went back down on the floor to finish the passport game. A chance to win $100.
Session 7 I went to Language Arts 21st century classroom by Melissa Shields. She had several cool research projects that involved web 2.0 tools. Her website www.ecboe.org, then click on Teacher's corner/Language Arts/writing. Her wiki is http://ecboeworkshops.wikispaces.com/fetc-acte+workshop. She mentioned three research projects in particular: Walk Across America, Back in the Day, and Rap Song. All were very interesting and could be 5th grade and up.
Session 8 was the Google Classroom. Anita Foster from Cobb County GA gave an overview of the different offerings by Google. She mentioned that they were no longer supporting Google Notebook and Google Video. Her website was the www.thegoogleclassroom.com and she has the majority of the google apps listed and what they are used for. She also has a top ten list. Sketch up sounds like it might be an interesting drafting project. It could be published on Google Earth. Which not only includes the Earth but also the solar system as mapped by the Hubble Spacecraft. Googlelittrip would be another good one. Way too many to choose from but that is a good things because I and my students are uniquely the same.
Session 9 I wanted to go to Teaching Math to the Net Generation but I have to leave.
Did not pick up any information on the bus rides today.
Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009
I attended a class on Web 2.0 tools. The presenter was Leslie Fisher and here is a copy of her powerpoint. We discussed how Web 2.0 is a title for all interactive websites and is used to enhance social interactions. The most popular of Web 2.0s are Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, Photo/Video sharing, RSS feeds & bookmarking and finally social networking. We discussed the following sites: Blogger.com, twitter.com, wikispaces.com, smugmug.com, ustreamtv.com, and facebook.com which really brings all of the web 2.0 together in a nice package. RSS feeds can be from anywhere to anywhere, but commonly go into your email. Which brought up some really interesting ideas. The only question is what will be allowed to access from school and what will have to be accessed from home.
Thursday, Jan 22, 2009
Wow! Actually saw several Okees around today. Just about everybody from the OHS category. On the bus over, I heard mention of www.mindmeister.com so I will have to check it out.
Session 1 was on the "moodle". It is an open source (free) Learning Management system it would be familiar to those that have used Blackboard, WebCT, or Angel. But it is very much a user friendly site. I like the fact that it has messaging, chat, AND forum features. An ELA teacher's dream. It allows for social enhancement in the workplace. As they say "our world is truly flat". Moodle has its own support community and is truly modifiable to fit your needs. If you want to get in and view or play click here and check out the course set up for FETC. This is a training area set up by Remote Learner. The Moodle is free to download but you want someone who knows how to modifiy it for you. The cost here comes from the server space needed.
Session 2 that I wanted to attend was Google docs but it was packed so I went to Fractions and Algebra by Understanding Math. This is software designed to explain concepts in a visual format and is a computer assisted software. It was not designed to teach the concepts on its own, but to use the teacher to facilitate.
Session 3 that I wanted to attend was Improving schools with tech integration: the leadership advantage. However the presenter Gary Shattuck did not show. So the class decided to have a forum on the topic. Two presenters from www.mindsharelearning.com hosted the session. We came up with the tatic of Identifying others with the Tech gene, use community learning, start an afterschool tech club (competion/emulation), training-demonstrating to the teacher as they are doing the class as to how they can integrate materials, and that the administration should really set aside some time for tech training if it is important. Technololgy is a tool that we guides on the side should be using to teach the students NOT the subjects. It always important to have a back up plan because tech does not always work.
Bus ride back I heard mention of lots of free resources from Tammy Worcester www.tammyworcester.com Jammband and bozie were mentioned specifically. Something to look at in my free time.
Friday Jan 23, 2009
Attended the Mimio Breakfast. Unfortunately did not win the system, really wanted to.
Session 4 I attended "Is the district ready for student email?" This was put on by www.gaggle.net It now makes sense to me of the expression "working with google and gaggle". It has a free version which bears looking into.
Session 5 I went down to the exhibit floor. I saw lots of cool things. What caught my eye was the plentitude of mini laptops and learning systems. It was an overload.
I had lunch on Pearson, they are rolling out their next version of their learning systems which will be internet based. Ferris the Ferret is their new logo. They have The Watershed for Prek, The Successmaker for the middle group, and Novanet for the high school crew.
Session 6 I went back down on the floor to finish the passport game. A chance to win $100.
Session 7 I went to Language Arts 21st century classroom by Melissa Shields. She had several cool research projects that involved web 2.0 tools. Her website www.ecboe.org, then click on Teacher's corner/Language Arts/writing. Her wiki is http://ecboeworkshops.wikispaces.com/fetc-acte+workshop. She mentioned three research projects in particular: Walk Across America, Back in the Day, and Rap Song. All were very interesting and could be 5th grade and up.
Session 8 was the Google Classroom. Anita Foster from Cobb County GA gave an overview of the different offerings by Google. She mentioned that they were no longer supporting Google Notebook and Google Video. Her website was the www.thegoogleclassroom.com and she has the majority of the google apps listed and what they are used for. She also has a top ten list. Sketch up sounds like it might be an interesting drafting project. It could be published on Google Earth. Which not only includes the Earth but also the solar system as mapped by the Hubble Spacecraft. Googlelittrip would be another good one. Way too many to choose from but that is a good things because I and my students are uniquely the same.
Session 9 I wanted to go to Teaching Math to the Net Generation but I have to leave.
Did not pick up any information on the bus rides today.